Proper lighting for turning.

[Bill MacLachlan]

I am sure this has been addressed before, but was in local lighting place to purchase a new light for my lathe and sales person raised an interesting point. Has anyone had problems or concerns with the amount of heat the new halogen bulbs give off? You would think the extra dust and heat would not be a good mixture. What is the best type of lighting to use for turning? Especially while trying to look into the inside of a bowl or vessel?
Thanks, Bill

[Bill Grumbine]

Hi Bill

I have two Moffat lamps mounted on a swivelling arm over the top of my lathe. These lights use halogen bulbs up to 100w, and have arms sort of like a gooseneck lamp so that the light can be aimed just about anywhere you want it. A person could get by with one, but I bought two so that I can change my illumination from one side of the piece to the other with a flick of a switch. My shop does not look like some of the others here with their operating room cleanliness. :rolleyes: Rather, it is quite dusty from time to time, and real dusty the rest of the time. You know it is bad when I turn off the light and a tiny "snow storm" of dust falls off it. But anyway...

Thses lights are often on for hours at a time (and even four hours at a time!), and I have never had a problem with dust and heat starting a fire, or even smoking a bit. If you click here (http://www.turningwood.com/light_stand.htm) you can see the light (so to speak). This is also the person from whom I purchased mine. He has the best price I have found. I have been using them since last October, and would not hesitate to buy them again.

Bill

[Jim Becker]

While it is true that the halogens give off a "bit" of heat, the light they throw is wonderful. I have a two-lamp fixture hanging directly over my lathe to add to the room lighting and a halogen lamp on a swing arm for up-close-and-personal illumination into vessels and bowls. (And the heat is a blessing in the winter!)

[Jason Roehl]

I love halogen lamps despite the heat. I've been using them for years around paint spray (never oil-based, latex only) and carpenters and the like and have never had an inkling of an explosion. As I understand it, a dust explosion requires a pretty tight range of fuel-air mixtures, and a substantial ignition source to make anything happen. Your biggest danger is paper, rags and other flammables falling onto the lamp. Another little known bit of trivia is that a halogen is a fair amount more efficient than the same wattage of incandescent--i.e., a 100W halogen puts off more light than a 100W incandescent (but not near as much as a fluorescent.

Which leads me to my next point. If you really want good light, you need a fluorescent with a high color temperature (5000K or higher, 7-8000 would be the ideal), and a high color rendering index (CRI), say 80 or above. Obviously, you will pay for the quality of light, but the heat will be much less, and the efficiency will be much higher. You may have to check Grainger's or some other industral supply house to find lights rated like this.

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

No Answers Here
All I know is the older you get [I'm nearly 57] the more light you need. At Arrowmont, my lathe had 2 adjustable incandecent lights. I was constantly messin' with them.

The general shop lighting was great but task lighting helps. I'll be watching this thread.

<center> What Halogen Lights are You Guys Using?

Are you talking about standard base? What wattage?

[Jason Roehl]

<center> What Halogen Lights are You Guys Using?

Are you talking about standard base? What wattage?

While I don't have a decent set up for my lathe yet (I just have one of those $5 floor halogen worklights rigged to hang in the vicinity of where it really needs to be), I do have an articulating desk lamp made for a standard incandescent, but have replaced the bulb with a 100W halogen with standard (medium, I think) threads--this is what I use at my desk and the light is great. I intend to get something similar to mount for use on my lathe.

[Bill Grumbine]

Which leads me to my next point. If you really want good light, you need a fluorescent ...

Mr. Roehl, I am afraid I must disagree with you on this point, not as to the quality of the light, which I do not doubt, but to its application. Fluorescent lights and lathes are a dangerous combination. The pulsing of the light coupled with the rotation of the lathe can make the rotating stock appear to move slowly, backwards, or even stand still. I have demonstrated this on occasion for people in the shop. It can be an injury causing effect in many instances, and in all instances it confuses the brain, which can slow reaction times.

Fluorescent lights are great for general lighting, but especially on a lathe, task lighting needs to be incandescent.

Bill

[Jason Roehl]

Mr. Roehl, I am afraid I must disagree with you on this point, not as to the quality of the light, which I do not doubt, but to its application. Fluorescent lights and lathes are a dangerous combination. The pulsing of the light coupled with the rotation of the lathe can make the rotating stock appear to move slowly, backwards, or even stand still. I have demonstrated this on occasion for people in the shop. It can be an injury causing effect in many instances, and in all instances it confuses the brain, which can slow reaction times.

Fluorescent lights are great for general lighting, but especially on a lathe, task lighting needs to be incandescent.

Bill

You're allowed to disagree, Bill. Particularly when I have a massive brain hiccup like that. I defer to experience in this case.

[Steven Wilson]

Hi Bill
I have two Moffat lamps mounted on a swivelling arm over the top of my lathe. These lights use halogen bulbs up to 100w, and have arms sort of like a gooseneck lamp so that the light can be aimed just about anywhere you want it.


Bill, the Moffat lamps, like the ones shown on that link, are incandescent and not halogen. Incandescent lamps don't get all that hot, halogen's do.

[W.C. Turner]

This is one I'm also interested in, as I am dire need of much better lighting. I hope someone will post additional choices.

Thanks,